Fodder-cutter



, l v3 sheetsshe'et 1.

L. M'. BATTY.-

FODDERACUTTBR. A l No. 272,403. Patented Feb.201883.

A ORNBY INVENTOR.,

WITNBSSBS L. M. BATTY. PoDDER GUTTER.

3 Sheets-@Shet 2.

WITNESSBS f .MW K

, AT QRNBY l 3 -SheetSU-Sheet 3. L. M. BATTYff. A l

FODDER GUTTER.-

' No. 272.403. -Patentedreh 20.18.83.

INVENTOR'.

'WITNESSES 'ATTORNEY'.

fi' A UNITED STATES 'PATENT Orrrce.

LINDLEY M. BATTY, OF CANTON, OHIO'.

FODDER- SPECIFICATION vv forming pm ef Letters Patent No. 272.403, dated February 2o,

CUTTER.

Application filed August 10, 1878.

To all whom it 'may concern:

Be it known that I, LINDLEY M. BAT'LY, of Canton, in the county of Stark and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fodder-Gutters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class ot' foddercutters havin g rotatin gknives andfeed-rollers.

The knives of feed-cutting machines in corumon use are usually made to present a continuons cutting-edge, either plain or serrated, and extending entirely across the mouth of the feed-trough of the machine, and in operation they cut oft'at a single stroke the entire mass of material presented to them, causing thereby undue jarringand strain to the machine and rendering it unsafe to run them at a very high speed; and such knives are adapted only to cutting off the material presented to them in single pieces orlumps, which, in cutting such material as corn-fodder or ensilage, are too coarse for feeding purposes. Hence it is very desirable that such material should be finely torn in pieces.

The object of my invention is to provide certain improvements in the cutting mechanism and other parts connected therewith for a feedcutting machine, and which improvements shall be especially adapted to the disintegration of-'corwfodder and ensilage, and havingadvantages hereinafter more fully set forth.

My invention consists, first, in the improved construction of a sectional knife or cutter designed to form a part of a spirally-arranged cutting device; second, in an improved spirally-arranged cutting device, by which l obtain superior results in the disintegration of corn-fodder and ensilage; third, in the improved construction of a pivoted vibrating frameforcarryingandoperatingthe upperfeedroller of the machine, -whereby Lobtain a more even pressure upon the feed-roller than is had by the ordina-ry use of springs, and whereby l obtain greater facility in the manipulation.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of reference indicate like parts, Figure l is a side elevation of the machine with part of the y-wheel removed, showing parts hereinafter referred to. Fig. 2 is a planV 5o view with the cover thrown open, showing the cutting mechanism and upper feed-roller. Fig.

3 is a vertical section of the side opposite to the'side shown in Fig. l. Fig. 4 are perspective views, showing the two opposite sides of the sectional cutter used in my machine and the manner of securing two-or more of them together, Figs. 4' and 4" being detached parts thereof. Fig. 5 represen ts a modified construction of the sectional cutter shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal elevation and crosssection of the improved cutter-bar. Fig. 7 is an enlarged side elevation of the iiy-wheel, beltpulley, and friction-clutch, Figs. 'i' and 7 beingdrawings in detail belonging thereto. Fig.

8 represents detached parts of the machine, hereinafter referred to; and Fig. 9 shows in perspective the cutter, consisting of a series of sectional cutters, shown separate in Fig. 4, and illustrating the manner of cutting and disintegration. I

The sectional cutter shown in Fig. 4 is made by casting inlone or otherwise permanently securing a laterally-projecting blade, A,to a cast arm, B. The blade A, when made separate, is made bypunching from sheet-steel a piece in the form shown at Fig. 4', and byy bending over laterally about one-fourth of an inch of its outer and peripheral edge, as shown in Fig. 4". The laterallyprojecting part of the blade A, being suitablycurved circumferentially, has a narrow sharpened front edge, a', and a narrow back, a, and the inner ilat part, A', of the blade A is provided with a hole, C', through which vthe molten metal ofthe arm B isc-ast for the purpose of securing the blade A firmly toits place,

as shown in Figs. 4 and 9. The blade Amay also be furthersecured to the arm Bby means of rivets, if preferred. When the arm and blade are made in a single piece the part A will not be formed on the blade. The inner end of the arm B is provided with a hole, G, for the insertion of ashaft, l), and, as shown in the right-hand drawing in Fig. 4, the arm B is provided on one side with a lug, F, corresponding in position to a hole, Gr, on the opposite side, as shown in Fig. 4, andthe forward outer point, b', of the .arm B is made equidis- -tant diametricallywith the backedge, a", of the blade A, so that when a series of the cutters such as shown in Fig. 4 are placed consecutively on a shaft, D, as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 9, the back edge, et", of each blade Awill IOO eremiti bear against the forward outer point, b', of the arm B immediately following it, and the lugr F on one side of each arm B will enter the hole Gr on the opposite side ot' another arm, B, placed against it, and by means of which the whole series of cutters is held firmly together and the curved forward edge, E, of each arm B becomes a lateral offset connected with and following the back edge, a, of the particular blade A which immediately precedes it, the offsets being` curved inward toward the shaft D for the purpose of disintegrating and throwing down whatever the cutting-blades A cut oft', and the whole forming a spirally-arranged cutting device winding any desired number of times around the shaft D.

It is evident that a cutter may be made of a single piece of steel, castor otherwise formed, and having a lateral offset, E, consisting of an inwardly curved extension of the. laterallyprojecting blade A, as shown in Fig. 5; but in practice this is not preferred. The manner of disintegration is illustrated in Fig. 9, iu which the laterally-projecting blade A of one of the cutters is shown as having cut through a narrow portion of a single piece of cornstalk or other material, d', while the lateral offset E immediately connected with and following it is shown in the operation of tearing and crumbling ofi` and throwing down the 'cut-O portion in fragments d. As the laterally-projecting part ot' each blade A, together with the ot'set E which immediately follows it, revolves in a plane of revolution exclusively their own, no one of the blades A, together with its offset E, can cut and crumble oli" a wider portion of material than is represented by their lateral width, preferably being not over one-fourth ofan inch. So several blades and offsets would pass through an ordinary-sized cornstalk before it would be entirely out olf; and in cutting a larger mass of material the cutting of each of the blades A, taken separately considered, is intermittent; but as no two ot' them commence cutting at the same time, the operation ofthe whole series of blades and offsets, taken together, is coutinuous. Consequently, like a circular saw, they may be safely run at a very high speed.

In the cutter-bar shown in Fig. 6 a hardened plateiot slieet-steel, H, of uniform width a'nd ground straight and square across on both of its longitudinal edges, is held to the forward upright surface of the bar I by means of a clamp, J, secured by bolts K, which pass through under the steel plate H, permitting it to be taken out and reversed, bringing either of its four corners into use without removing the bar I from the machine, and when all ot' the corners are worn dull the plate H may be regrouud and used again, or a new one furnished at a. triiug cost.

To prevent breakage should any hard substance be drawn into the machine, Iconstruct a friction-clutch as follows: As shown iu Figs.

' Il, 2, and 7, the fly-wheel Naud beltOare held to the tixed friction-filange P by the angularheaied bolts Q, the heads of which bolts bear directly on the inner surface of the said friction-flange P, without. the intervention of a friction disk or plate suchV as have been used on other similar devices. As shown in detail at Fig. 7', the heads of the bolts Q are preferably made by bending ashort portion of the Unthreaded end over atarightangle. Ou two or'more spokes of the fly-wheel N, and close to the periphery ofthe friction-flange P, there are boxes R R, each provided with a shallow radial channel, R', to receive the angular bolt-' heads Q and keep them in their proper position for bearing on the frictionflange P while in operation.

The channeled boxes (shown in detail at Fig. 7) are provided with a bolt-hole, as shown, for the insertion ofthe bolts Q. The belt-pulley 0, being webbed across its inner end,is provided with bolt-holes corresponding in position to the bolt-holes through the channeled boxes R.

In putting the ily-wheel N and pulley O on the cutter-shaftD the bolts Q are inserted from the inside of the iy-wheel N and the angular bolt-heads Q placed in the channels R and bearing directly on the inner surface of the friction-flange P; the threaded ends of the bolts Q are passed through ontw-.1rd and receive their nuts within the concave side ofthe pulley O, as shown in Fig. 1.

To remove the ily-wheel N and pulley O from the machine for convenience in transporta-tion, it is only necessary to loosen the nuts on the bolts Q and turn their angular heads crosswise over the radial channels R', and therebyY release them from their bearings on the friction-iange l.

From the side tension exerted on the bolts vQ by the bearing of their angular heads Q on the friction-flange P, suticient elasticity is ohtained to compensate for any unevenness that may occur on the surface of the friction-flange P, thereby obviating the use ofsprings or other yielding hearings, and the pulley O withstands the strain of its belt without additional clutch or fastening, such as have heretofore been used on other machines for the same purpose.

A suitable system of gearing conveys motion to the feed-rollers M and S. The upper feed-roller, S, provided with a gear-wheel', Z, is pivoted on a vibrating frame, T U, which consists of a weighted cross-bar, U, haviugits ends firmly attached to the outer and long ends of wooden bars or levers T T, the inner and short ends of which are pivoted on the double standards V and V2. The cross-bar U is made heaviest at one end, as seen at U', for the purpose of counterbalaliciug the downward pressure exerted on the opposite end of the feedroller S by the drivingpinion X2 through its connection with the gear-wheel Z. But little weight is needed in the cross-bar U to impart an adequate pressure on the feedroller S through the bars or levers T, and by this construction I obviate the ordinary use of springs or heavy weights for such purposes, and it is very convenient to use the cross-bar IOO IIO

IIS

U as a handle for raising the feed-roller S up out of the way.

In Figs. l and 3 there is shown a device-for holding in place the outer end of an adjustable swinging bar similar to those in common use, to which changeable gear-wheels are attached for varying the speed of the feed-rollers of feed-cutting machines. The outer and segmental end of the swinging bar (shown in Fig. 1, Sheet I) may be raised or lower in a curved slotted plate, l, which is supplied with a pinhole for the insertion ot' an angular bent pin, u, corresponding holes being madein the segmentalendot' the bar i. through either of which the pin n may be placed to hold the bar 1I in any position required by changing or shifting the gears for those of different sizes. The pin n is kept from falling out by its outer and bent end being dropped down into a notch in the upper edge ofa stud,p, andunder a spring, q, which are situated' on the outside of the slotted plate l. By pressing back the spring q'the pin'n may be easily removed*f This de# vice is cheaper, more reliable, and' more convenient to use than the bolts or screws in common use for the same purpose. No special claim is here made to this construction.

In operation, when stalks or other material are conveyed to the blades A by the action of the feed-rollers M and S,the upper feed-roller,

S, rises or falls with the varying amount of material, and is adequately pressed down on -the material by the weighted cross-bar U through the medium ofthelevers T. As each' f the cutting-blades A, followed by an offset., E, cuts down through av narrow portion of material and is followed by another blade and offset revolving in an adjoining plane of revolution, no portion of the material can escape being out and crumbled oli', and by the rapid repetition of this operation'a measured length ofthe material is cut off and effectually disintegrated at every revolution of the cutter-shaft D. By a moderate tightening of the nuts on the bolts Q the friction-Harige P is held between the angular bolt-heads Q' and the spokes of the iiy-wheel N with sufficient force to cause all parts of the machine to do their legitimate Work; but a small additional amount of resistance produced by any hard and injurious substance conveyed to the cutting-blades A will check and stop all of the working parts of the machine,.and the momentum of the iiy-wheel N will cause the angular bolt-heads Q to slip on the frictionflange P, whereby all parts ot' the machine are saved from material injury.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is'- Y 1. In a feed-cutter, the combination ot the blade A A with the arm Bto which it is secured, which arm has a socket, G, in one side and a lug, F, upon the other, whereby two of the arms can be locked together spirally` around the shaft, substantially as shown.

2. In a feed-cutter, the combination of a series of arms, B, locked together and arranged sprally around the shaft D, each one of the arms having-tbe otiset E and a blade, A, substantially as described.

3. The pivoted and weighted frame T U, carrying roller S and gear Z, in combination with roller M and gears X', X2, and Y, as set forth.

LINDLEY M. BATTY.

In presence of WM. MoKrNLEY, Jr., A. MCKINLEY. 

